What Does History Say About Cosmetics?

According to archaeological evidences, it can be seen that the cosmetics were used by ancient Egyptian pharaohs. Even the ancient Greeks used cosmetics. According to Bible, Jezebel painted her eyelids, who was the Queen of Israel during 843 BCE. Also, the book of Esther describes various beauty treatments against Queen Esther.

This shows that the usage of cosmetics had great importance from ancient times. Today, cosmetic stores are present in every main street, and the market is offering a variety of products for hair and skin. Products that are not available in any country can be bought online from anywhere in the world. Even men are now attracted to cosmetics and the cosmetic industry is offering products that suit male skin and hair. Even perfumes are available, manufactured especially to match male interests.

Basic Categorization Of Cosmetics

The main theme of makeup is to change the appearance of a person by coloring the skin, hair, lips and various other body parts that are exposed to others.

However, the cosmetic industry categorizes them into two major divisions:

Skin Decorating Cosmetics

These cosmetics are visible when applied, and they instantly enhance the appearance. They include powders, lipsticks, eyeliners, mascaras, nail polishes, hair colors and many more.

Skin Care Cosmetics

These cosmetics improve and repair damaged skin, and prevent from threats against skin disorders. They improve the health of the skin. Some of them include moisturizers, night creams, cleansers, masks, toners, skin lighteners, serums etc.

Skin Types And Their Characteristics

Depending on the characteristic feature of a skin, it can fall into any one of four categories of skin types. They are:

Normal

This type of skin is said to be perfect skin type as it contains balanced levels of sebum. This skin is neither too dry nor greasy and thus requires minimum maintenance.

Dry

Dry skin appears scaly, patchy, and flaky with dead cells. This type of skin ages soon as the sebum levels are below the adequate levels. This type of skin should be treated with ingredients that has the ability to induce moisture deep into the skin.

Oily

Oily skin has sebum levels that are more than the required rate. Therefore, the skin often appears greasy and oils frequently. This type of skin needs to be treated with ingredients that have acidic properties.

Combination

This type of skin is a combination of both dry and oily skin. Usually, the cheeks and the area around eyes and mouth are dry, while forehead, nose and chin appear oily. This type of skin demands a lot of maintenance and every part of the skin needs to be treated separately, depending on its oily or dry features.

Skin Conditions That Any Skin Type Can Possess

Basically, the skin condition can be categorized into two conditions, irrespective of its type.

Sensitive Skin

This type of skin is very sensitive and reacts very fast to chemicals. The outcome is in the form of rashes, irritation, burning and stinging. This type of skin condition may not adapt to chemical products like dyes, bleaches, shaving creams, soaps etc.

Acne-prone skin

This type of skin contain clogged pores, and dirt settles in, leading to infections. The results are in the form of acne. Some of the factors that contribute to acne are oily skin, hormones, oily food, cheap cosmetics, heredity, etc.

Traditional Way Of Skin Care

General methods to take care of skin is to cleanse, exfoliate, apply mask, tone, moisturize and protect from harmful sun rays and pollution.

Cleansing

The first step of skin care is to clean the face with good and mild cleansers. All of the products available in the market do not suit all skin types. Based on the skin type and skin condition, perfect cleanser should be chosen. Try the ones that contain appropriate PH balance and remove dirt while maintaining proper sebum levels.

Exfoliating

Exfoliators are the scrubs that when massaged gently on the skin, removes the dead skin cells, leaving it smooth, clear and flawless. They are generally applied on wet and dry skin. Simultaneously, these also act like cleansers, clearing the dirt in the deep pores. A number of natural exfoliators are present in nature, while chemical ones are offered by cosmetic industry.

Masks

Generally, masks are applied after exfoliating the skin, so that go deep into the pores and close them. Also, they treat skin disorders with the qualities present in their ingredients. They must always be applied on clean and dry face.

Generally, masks are of three types:

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Clay Based - These type of masks contain fuller’s earth that carry essential oils and chemicals into the skin. They are generally applied till they are dried and then, rinsed off with plain or cold water.

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Peel Masks -These type of masks contain various acidic agents that act as exfoliators. They induce moisture into the skin, while removing dead skin and repairing damaged skin tissues.

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Sheet Masks - These are the modern masks, and has become very popular in various parts of Asia. These masks are readymade, manufactured to fit the face, avoiding eyes and lips. The mask is made of thin cotton sheet and when applied on the face, it is coated with various serums, liquids and oils that effectively treat skin disorders.

Toning

Toners are generally applied with cotton balls, to cleanse any traces of cleanser, exfoliator, makeup and mask. They help in balancing pH levels in the skin. Typically, they contain herbal extracts, alcohol and water. Different toners are made of different ingredients. Therefore, it is suggested to choose the one that best suits the skin type and skin condition.

Moisturizing

Moisturizers are used mainly for hydrating the skin and prevent from wrinkles and aging. These are available as creams and lotions. They are available as day creams, night creams and tinted creams. Day creams or lotions protect from pollution and harmful rays from sun while night creams repair and stimulate skin tissues. Tinted moisturizers contain foundation that is used as a part of makeup. Based on the skin type, one can use oil based or water based moisturizers.

Protecting

Sun emits harmful rays that result in tanning of skin and damage skin tissues. Exposure to harmful UVA and UVB radiations lead to sun burns, skin cancer and pigmentation. Therefore, it has become mandatory to use skin products that contain SPF (Sun Protecting Factor). Such cosmetics are generally termed as sunscreen lotions and are available from 15 to more than 100 SPF. Asian skin can get best results by using lotion that has 60SPF and above. Always perform patch test before using as some of the ingredients used in these creams might trouble sensitive skin conditions.

Ingredients Involved In Cosmetics

Many ingredients used in cosmetics show awesome results, but most of them effect adversely in the long run. There are many instances of using certain skin care products has resulted in skin cancers. Therefore, many countries are taking precautionary steps and regulating the ingredients list in cosmetics.

Organic And Natural Ingredients

Cosmetic companies that claim to offer products made of harmless organic and natural ingredients should be certified. This means that, they are released into the market only after thorough testing.

Mineral makeup

Mineral makeup is the use of cosmetics made of dry mineral powders. Generally, these include loose foundation powder, blush and eye shadow. Liquid cosmetics and lipsticks can also be termed as mineral makeups if they possess primary ingredients as those used in dry mineral makeups.

Ingredients

Coverage pigments and physical sunscreens like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are the main ingredients of mineral makeups. Others are tin oxide, mica, iron oxide and magnesium myristate.

Benefits

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Titanium oxide and zinc oxide possess anti-inflammatory properties and therefore, when used on skin can result in calming and cool effect.

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Bismuth oxychloride is another type of chemical that can be irritating when used on sensitive skin conditions.

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Zinc oxide has antibacterial properties that can repair acne-prone skin.

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Because they are made of dry powders, they can last as long as the applicant does not contaminate them with other substances or finger tips.

Best Tips To Follow To Attain Glowing Skin

Apart from using cosmetics for enhancing beauty on the outer side, the food you intake also matters a lot. In fact, the outer appearance can be covered temporarily with creams, foundations and makeup, but the real beauty should come from inside. That can happen only when you intake proper diet and drink lots of water and juices.

For example, you can use moisturizers to moisturize your skin temporarily. But, if you intake lots of water then, your skin will be hydrated from inside, enabling the skin to be moisturized naturally. Skin care maintenance depends on various aspects like creams, face washes, face masks, proper diet, water intake, fruits that contain lots of water and fibre content, vitamins, etc.

Use good creams and lotions, without compromising on the quality. Always use the skin care products from faithful brands. Choose those with mild chemicals and has natural ingredients like aloe Vera, honey, fruit extracts and other essential oils that suit your skin.

Fruits contain fibre, nutrients, vitamins that are required for our body. They improve body metabolism, promote digestion and burn excess fat. They induce hydration to the body, and thus enhance both beauty and health. If the skin is healthy, minimum makeup can also give amazing outlook.

They can also be used as face packs for achieving glowing and blemish free skin. In fact, many beauty salons promote fruit facials for glowing skin.

Some of the best fruits that help you achieve healthy and glowing skin are:

Lemon - Fruits of this category contain Vitamin C that plays a very important role in nourishing the skin. Also these fruits contain bleaching properties, and hence can remove tan and improve skin complexion. Oranges and lemon juices for both intake and external application can do wonders.

Banana - A banana contains all the vitamins that one needs for achieving health and anti-aging skin. The fruit is rich in vitamins like A, B and E. Also, the fruit can be mixed with honey and applied as a face mask to attain glowing skin instantly.

Papaya - Papaya is rich in antioxidants, contain an enzyme called as papain that works great for human skin. You can have this fruit in raw, or have its juice. Also, you can apply this fruit on your skin to achieve glowing and healthy skin that is free from blemishes. The fruit works great to fade off the blemishes.

Tomato - Tomato is rich in an antioxidant, by name, lycopene, which acts as a sunscreen and prevents the skin from premature aging.Tomatoes exhibit acidic properties and when applied on the skin, cleanse the dirt and reduce acne and pimples.

Amla (Gooseberry) - Amla is rich in vitamin A that helps to produce collagen in the body, a compound that hydrates skin and improves the elasticity of the skin. Also, it clears blemishes and scars. The skin appears to be moisturized, glowing and young from within. Amla can also be included in face masks to act as a natural cleanser and remove excess oils from the skin.

Juices work to detoxify the body, and hence removes impurities in the blood. Fruit and vegetable juices help in rejuvenating the skin. Have juices of fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants and fibre. This keeps your skin healthy and prevents from wrinkling and anti-aging. Some of the best juices are mentioned below:

Carrot - Carrot is rich in Vitamin A that helps you to achieve clear and blemish free skin. Also, it reduces pigmentation and evens the skin tone.

Cucumber - Cucumber is rich in silica that works to reduce melanin content in the skin, thus improving the complexion.

Apple - Apple is rich in antioxidants and helps in improving the elasticity of the skin, preventing from premature aging and wrinkles.

Beetroot - Beetroot is rich in vitamins A, C and K and contains minerals like silica, sulphur, potassium calcium, copper, iron and chlorine. The vegetable also contains few amounts of amino acids and antioxidants like carotenoids and flavonoids. Therefore, the benefits of beetroot are plenty.

Ginger - Add ginger flakes to any juice as it contains nutrients like potassium, magnesium, manganese and anti-aging antioxidants. It is also rich in Vitamin B6. Ginger has properties that can reduce inflammation, and boosts the immune system.

Always have nutritional diet, instead of just filling your stomach with unwanted stuff. Include fruits, raw vegetables, juices, milk, eggs, raagi malt, meat and leafy vegetables in your daily diet so that you can get all the benefits of them to improve the health of your skin.

Zinc - Deficiency in zinc results in acne. Therefore, have food that is rich in zinc.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids - These essential acids help in improving the elasticity of the skin and induces moisture into the skin. It is very important for dry skin that frequently suffers from dead cells, white heads and black heads.

Silica - Silica helps in strengthening the bond between skin tissues, and thus, results in healthy and glowing skin from inside.

Yoga is the best solution for any type of health issues. Also, it plays a very important role to achieve glowing skin. Certain selected yoga asanas work great on various organs of the body, to help achieve glowing skin.

​Some of the effective asanas are:

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Kapalrandhradhouti

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Paschimottanasana

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Standing Chakrasana

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Dhanurvakrasana

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Yoni mudra

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Kapalbhati

Apart from taking skin care to get natural beauty from inside, you also need to use creams and foundations that can be applied externally. But always choose from faithful brands and never use when they cross the expiry date.Foundations play a very important role for effective makeup, but wrong selection can appear artificial. Always select a tone that matches with your skin, and choose the one that best suits your skin type and skin condition.

Homemade face masks are inexpensive and effective. They are made from natural fruits, herbs and ingredients that you can get from your kitchen.There is no need to spend hundreds and thousands on creams, masks and lotions that you get in the market. The same kind of effect can be achieved using homemade masks. Moreover, these are chemical free and has no side effects.

Moisturizers are very important to hydrate the skin. Though your skin is oily, you still need oil-free moisturizers.They keep your skin hydrated, glowing and repair damaged skin tissues. Apart from those you get in the market, you can also make simple homemade moisturizers that are inexpensive and work effectively to help you achieve healthy skin.

Spa is a place where you can find trained beauty professionals who can guide you and treat you to overcome skin imperfections. They can guide you on diet, creams and homemade recipes based on your skin type. Also they can treat you with skin care products in a professional way.

Conclusion

Cosmetics play a very important role in improving skin health and achieving glowing skin. They can help in rejuvenating skin, repairing the damaged skin tissues, hydrating skin, stimulating blood circulation, reducing wrinkles, prevent premature aging, and enhance complexion. They are available for every age group, starting from toddlers till old age.

They are categorized broadly into skin decoration and skin care products, and both of them are important to enhance beauty. Instead of getting carried away with ads, choose the ones that have mild chemicals and best suit for your personal skin health.

Apart from cosmetics, you can also take care of your skin by using homemade recipes made out of simple natural ingredients that you can get from your kitchen. Always use cosmetics from a trusted brand and choose them according to your skin disorders, skin tone, skin type and skin condition.